Self-playing musical instrument



July 22 1 924.

H.-K. AN DELL SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 Shgets-Shget 1 Filed July 15 1922 H. K. SANDELL 'SBLF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Ju a n I Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY K. SANDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY GOM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed July 15, 1922. Serial 575,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRYK. SANDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Playing Musical Instruments, of which the following is a'specification.

The present invention relates to improve-- tion with the bows or sounders of a viol numeral 6 indicates the strings which pass in th usual way over the bridge 7. Above eachstring in a suitable position is a sounder or bow member 8, preferably of the type described in my prior Patent No. 855,021, dated May 28, 1907. These sounders or bow members are mounted on the rotating supports or shaft 9, which are constantly driven from a bow motor, in the' manner described in my prior patent. The sounders or bow members 8 are, when not playing, some distance above the corresponding strings 6, as indicated clearly in Figure 2. The depression of the shafts 9 and of the corresponding how members or sounders is effected by means'of the levers 10 which extend over the violin and are pivoted upon a shaft 11 mounted on the back 12 or other suitable support positioned at one side of the strings. The ends of the levers 10 extending away from the strings are provided with depending projections 13 which are preferably electro-magnetically actuated to cause the depression of the ends of the levers engaging the sounder shafts 9. In the form iilustra'ted, alternating current electrounagnets lei are mployed, the cores of which are normally dropped to the lowermost position permitted bythe tubes 15 depending from the electro-magnets. When the electro-magnet corresponding to any particular string is energized the core is brought to the center of the electro-magnet and, in rising, engages the projection 13 of the lever 10 andd'ifts it, causing the opposite end of the lever to depress the corresponding sounder shaft 9. The rotating sounder thereupon engages the string and produces the desired note.

The electro-magnets 1a are supported in a frame 16 secured to the bracket 12. The spring 17, extending from the projection 18 back of the pivot of each of the levers to a suitable lug 19 on the bracket 12, tends to retract that end of the lever and to thereby raise the. opposite end, with the corresponding bow shaft, from the strings.

A preferred form of engagement of the ends of the levers 10 with the sounder shafts 9 is most clearly illustrated in Figure 2. Each lever 10 is provided with a downwardly projecting ear or lug 20 in which is formed a lengthened slot 21. Th corresponding bow shaft 9 passes through this slot. A slotted plate 22, preferably of elliptical form, passes over the car 20 and isrigidly secured to the lever 10. A second slotted plate 23 of similar form likewise passes over each ear; 20 and is freely movable therein. The slotted plate 23 is positioned above the sounder shaft 9 passing through the slot 21. Between the plates 22 and 23 is mounted a coil spring 24. When the bow end of the lever 10 is depressed by the actuation of one of the electromagnets 14, it acts through the spring 24 and the plate 23 upon the correspondin sounder shaft 9 to depress the latter. I t will thus be apparent that a resilient pressure is maintained upon each sounder shaft 9 in causing the playing of notes upon the corresponding string.

In playing the instrument, it is frequently desirable, and in staccato playing it is necessary to effect a quick and positive removal of the sounders or bows from the strings independently of the action of the electromagnets 14. In thepresent device, this is effected by actuation of the electromagnet 25, indicated in the drawings as an alternat- -w'it-h a downwardly projecting portion. 29

which passes through a guide-opening 30 in the plate 27 The core of; the electromagnet 25, which isenlargedabove its lower por ti'on 29, normally rests upon the plate 27 a. felt bushing 31 being interposed. It will be a )ar'ent that the action of the sorin is to maintain the core of the electromagnet 25" in its raised position. At its upper end the core of thiselectromagnetis provided with a smaller extending portion 32 to which is secured a transverse plate 33 by means of a set-screw 34. On its under side the plate 33 is provided with afelt packing 35. The levers 10 are each provided with flattened end portions 36 which extend under the plate 351 It will be apparent that downward movement ofthe plate 35 will depress the ends 36 of any of the levers 10 that may be raisedand will thereupon raise the opposite ends of the levers 10 and with them the corresponding sounder shafts 9.

In the operation of the instrument, the electromagnet 25- is energized by any suitable fmeans, for example, aperforatioh in a music-sheet, at themoment when a staccato effect or a; sudden lifting of the Sounders in action at the time from the corresponding strings is desired. The electromagnet 25'is preferably built so as to be more powerful in its action than the electromagnets 14 and itconsequently produces its desired effect regardless of whether anyof the electroma'ignet's 14 are energized;

I claim: 7 v 7 1 In a selfepl'aying. musical; instrument of the viol class, a plurality of rotating I sounders corresponding with the strings of thelnstrument, a lever for brlnging each of said Sounders 1nto' engagement with lts' string, an electromagnetic device for actuating each of said levers to effect such engagement, and; an; electromagnetic device opera tive to retract said levers to effect complete disengagement o-fthesounders from their strings.

2. In av selfeplaying musical instrument of the viol class, rotating sounders corre sponding to the strings of the instrument, a lever corresponding to each'of said sounders, said levers being fulcrumed at one side of the strings of the instrument, means at one end of each of saidlevers for operating the corresponding sounder, an electro magnet for engaging. the other end of each of said levers to actuate it and thereby bring the correspondingIsounder into engagement with its string, an independently operable electro-magnetand a plate extend ing transversely across the ends. of said levers and operated by the. last mentioned electro-magnet to simultaneously engage the levers and thereby disengage the sound'ers from thestrings.

3. In a self-playing musical-instrument of the viol. class, a: plurality of rotating sounders corresponding with. the several strings of the instrument, levers adapted to move said, sounders with relation to; the strings, springs: acting on said levers and tending to hold the'sounders away, fromthe strings, electromagnets adapted to; actuate the levers to) cause the sounders to engage the strings, and a' controlling magnetic device adapted to actuatesaid levers to effect complete removal of the Sounders from the.

strings when a staccatoeflect is desired.

. HENRY K. SANDELL. 

